11 Celebs Who Speak Out Against Bullying

Last year, the Department of Justice reported that every seven minutes a child is bullied at school. According to DoSomething.org, approximately 160,000 kids skip school every day because of bullying, and one out of 10 students drop out of school because of it. Take a look at 11 Latino celebrities who are helping raise awareness about this serious issue:

Mario Lopez

Stephanie Nogueras

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The Mexican-American Austin & Ally actress recently took part in a series of workshops held by Los Angeles’ Free the Children Leadership Academy, where kids are taught how to recognize bullying and take positive steps to prevent it. Raini Rodriguez is now using the skills she learned to show teens how to take a stand against bullying through a "Friends for Change" initiative, which will be aired on the Disney Channel on November 8.

Having faced bullies herself, Demi Lovato has made sure to take a stand against bullying. “At the end of the day, no one deserves to be bullied,” she toldSeventeen magazine. “I was bullied and I had to leave public school because of it. When you deal with bullies, I think it’s important to have a confidant in your life. I have a friend that I go to and I just vent about everything to her!”

"I have definitely experienced forms of bullying, and that's why it's so important for me to write songs like ‘Beautiful’ and 'Fighter,'" Christina Aguilera said during an interview.

Eva Mendes, who admitted to being bullied throughout middle school, starred in Girl in Progress which helped raise awareness on the seriousness of bullying.

The beautiful mami of two helped raise awareness for bullying by sharing her own personal account and letting others know that it does get better. “I was bullied so badly my dad used to have to walk me into school so I didn’t get attacked,” Jessica Alba told UK's Daily Mirror. “I'd eat my lunch in the nurses' office so I didn't have to sit with the other girls. Apart from my being mixed race, my parents didn't have money so I never had the cute clothes or the cool back pack."

In 2011, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Selena Gomez said she hoped many of her fans are able to get through tough times just by listening to her songs, such as “Who Says.”

"I think everybody obviously gets picked on and made fun of and I still obviously have to deal with it now," she told DeGeneres. "It's already hard enough being 18 and figuring out who you are and what you want to be and people constantly want to take you down."

Naya Rivera took part in GLAAD’s 2011 campaign against bullying. “Before you speak, think about how your words might affect someone else,” she said on GLAAD’s PSA.

The cast of Modern Family was recognized for their efforts in promoting tolerance at the 6th Annual Gay and Lesbian and Straight Education Network Respect Awards (GLSEN) in 2010. "Human beings in all aspects ... we should tolerate each other,” Sofia Vergara said. “We should learn to respect each other."

Priscilla Rodriguez is Latina.com’s Senior Editor. She provides coverage on nearly every topic with a focus on celebrity entertainment. Before hitting the pavement at Latina, Priscilla worked for various outlets including Teen.com, InStyle and Us Weekly. You can follow her on Twitter @priscilrodrig.

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